April 19, 2006
Drug maker Roche says the "Rapid Response
Stockpile" of Tamiflu to be distributed in the
event of a bird flu pandemic - is now assembled
and available to the United Nations World Health
Organization upon request.
A symbolic "handover" event took place between Franz B. Humer, Chairman and CEO of Roche, and Lee Jong-Wook, Director General, WHO.
Roche began producing the "rapid response" of 3 million treatment courses (30 million capsules) of the influenza antiviral Tamiflu last August, after world officials became concerned about the possibility of the deadly flu spreading to the human population.
The aim is to contain an emerging outbreak of a novel and potentially pandemic strain of influenza and to slow or prevent its national and international spread.
Roche said it will deliver the required stockpile to an international airport of the WHO's choosing.
Roche said it has been in discussions with governments as early as 1997 regarding pandemic preparedness and in the last few years, has supplied Tamiflu to over 65 governments around the world for pandemic stockpiling.
To meet anticipated demand, the company said it has substantially increased the production of Tamiflu and will be in a position to produce 400 million treatments annually by the end of this year.
In addition, sub-licensing agreements have been granted to companies in China and India for production of the drug.
